“It’s unreal honestly, just incredible,” Barty said. “I love this tournament. I love coming out here and playing in Australia. As Aussies, we’re exceptionally spoiled. We’re a Grand Slam nation and get to play at home in our backyard.”
“Now I get the chance to play for a title,” she added.
She will face Danielle Collins of the United States, who defeated Iga Swiatek of Poland, 6-4, 6-1, in the second women’s semifinal. Barty will be the favorite based on her cool and precision under pressure over the last 11 days, but Collins is one of the most ferocious competitors in women’s tennis and has been serving and returning particularly well in Melbourne. She won 86 percent of the points against Swiatek’s second serve on Thursday.
Barty leads their head-to-head series 3-1, but Collins won their most recent match in straight sets in Adelaide, Australia last year, and has also pushed her to three sets in two of their other matches.
“We’ve had some incredible battles over the years,” said Collins, the No. 27 seed. “To play against the No. 1 player in the world in her home country, I think it’s going to be really spectacular. I love the energy the fans bring whether they are for me or for my opponent.”